When I wrote last night about how anarchists are spoiling environmental and social justice movements, I didn’t mention Julian Ichim, but he’s definitely one of the people I was writing about. Ichim is on of the more despicable characters in Ontario’s anarchist community- if it wasn’t for his incompetence, he’d likely be a danger too. Instead, he’s more of a mosquito, or a fly in the ointment…

That said, the disruption he’s been causing has been rather expensive and damaging…

I’ve covered Ichim’s escapades in a few of my previous articles. The first time Ichim was on this site was in my story What’s Going Wrong With The Student Fee Protests. In this story I included a video of Ichim leading a chant about picking up guns and “offing the pigs”. As I said, Ichim is really quite the piece of work (and not even a student):

Ichim is probably most well-known from the lawsuit he filed against the City of Toronto earlier this year. He claimed that he was unlawfully arrested during the G20. For most of the people arrested this was probably true- that said, in Ichim’s case, how are we to believe his testimony? This is a man who has an agenda of hate and great anger for the police. Whatever he says about his incidences with the police (there have been many), we must always take it with a grain of salt.

Yesterday, Ichim hit an all time low for the activist community- he went after the most sacred of events, Toronto’s Remembrance Day ceremony. He, and some others (supposedly there were some Afghani women involved) came to the ceremony with the intention of causing a disruption and protest the Afghanistan war.

It seems that Ichim has a problem understanding the meaning of Remembrance day. It is not a day about promoting war- quite the opposite. It was stated at the end of World War I, and was always intended as a day to honour those who died, and to remember the pains of war in the hope that it isn’t repeated. Hijacking the celebrations for political causes is at the height of bad taste.

Here’s a quick snippet of text explaining his actions from his website yesterday:

“i know this was an action that a lot of people didn’t want to take part in for an array of reasons. i disagree with all of those reasons. soldiers are not part of the working class. they’re no different than cops and screws. if we want to challenge the culture of chauvinistic nationalism in this land, we’re bound to offend some people at first”

It’s common knowledge that the working class are the people who end up fighting the rich man’s war. Ichim’s use of the word ‘chauvinistic’ is a clear case of what psychologists call ‘projection’- attributing one’s own attitudes and suppositions on others. Ichim has no respect for anyone except for those he narrowly deems as ‘working class’.

Ichim comes from Romania, and (despite his behaviour) he claims to be firmly against fascism. It’s confounding to see him insulting Canadian soldiers like this. Back in 1941, when fascist forces took over the Romanian government, Canada was part of the coalition who helped to take them out of power. Considering this history, one would expect he would want to thank the WWII veterans who helped stop his country’s fascist government.

Regardless, what happened yesterday wasn’t about soldiers, Canada, WWII or Afghanistan. Ichim led this demonstration as a cheap attempt at getting himself some attention. Put simply, he’s an attention whore who craves acknowledgement at any cost.

In many ways, he’s no different than the asshole who climbs up into a clock tower with a gun in hopes of being remembered throughout history- it’s the same impulse. So far, he hasn’t done anything so extreme- but, as we have seen with his chants about offing the police with guns, we may just see that one day. Let’s hope that his comrades in the anarcho-communist world can get him under control before something bad happens…

16 comments

Ichim’s comment about soldiers is made even more interesting by the fact that one of his brothers, the one he actually gets along with, is currently servince with the Canadian Forces.

Not sure I would label Ichim as incompetent. I think it is more that he is nuts. Litterally. He is a few bricks short of a load. Ichim also makes no attempt to mask what he is. Which is a hardcore fundamentalist communist. He has Colombian friends with ties to FARC (ELN is not extreme enough for Ichim), has run for office on the Marxist-Leninist ticket and attends socialist summits in Cuba and Venezuela.

Also, saying you have to take what Ichim says about the police with a grain of salt in a big understatement. Most of what he has to say about the police would qualify more as parinoid delusions. He makes Vancouver Cop Watch look credible.

Derek Sobberal managed to get video of the incident. The women with him are part of a group called Afghans For Peace. Actually, from what I can tell they pretty much make up the entire organization called Afghans for Peace. Well, at least the Canadian group that goes by that name. Both the women, Laila Messrie and Suraia Sahar, are students and are involved with the usual collection of 21st century activistocrat causes: anti-capitalist, anti-imperialst, oppose Israel apartheid and various radical environmentalist causes. Neither speaks with an accent suggesting they were raised in the west, perhaps even born here.

The last time I heard the phrase “screws” used was in a prison movie from the 1930s, (ironically the last time the Communist Party had a reasonable following), probably one featuring Wallace Beery, Noah Beery Jr’s famous uncle.

To say , or even suggest that Ichim is a few cookies short of a dozen would an understatement of epic proportions. This is certifiably nuts in my opinion. But then, look who he hangs with , losers of equally epic proportions.

I wonder how long that has been for, I had an uncle on disability after working in a labour intensive job he was unable to go back. What did he do? He went to night classes while on disability and got a good paying job in a City office once he finished. I don’t mind my taxes paying for individuals on disability, but when these individuals do nothing to seek help or better themselves if they can in their situations I feel very little pity for them and find it hard to even listen or respect anything they have to say about politics.

Smac, no, Ichy does not have a job, simply put, he’s too stooopeeeed to have one . Ichi’s occupation includes but is not limited to ; anarchism, breaking laws, cop baiting, protesting, making court appearances and black blocing. he has a full plate already .

There is a need of professional revolutionary activists.This society is too full of kiss asses to the ruling powers and many elude responsibility.Eg.No charges were laid for the Gas plant “scandal”which is a clear example of political incompetence overiding specialists decisions.It must be someone who would show the rottening part in this system.Most criticism has to be within the confines established by the ruling power and the law doesn’t apply to some of the worst mistakes from the top.”Fish rotten from the head but is cleaned from the tail”.